A pro-life leader says a recent decision by a federal court to allow continuation of a defamation lawsuit against her organization will only serve to chill free speech.

The court ruled that the defamation suit filed by former Ohio Representative Steve Driehaus against the Susan B. Anthony List can go to trial. The lawsuit alleges that the pro-life group cost Driehaus his job and a “loss of livelihood” by educating constituents, via a billboard campaign, about his vote in favor of taxpayer funding for abortion included in the healthcare reform bill.

The court also dismissed a challenge by the Susan B. Anthony List to Ohio’s False Statement Law, which empowers state officials to enforce stiff fines — even prison time — for criticism of candidates based on information deemed by officials to be “false.”

Emily Buchanan is executive director of the SBA List. “We feel that this law in Ohio is unconstitutional,” she states. “Even the ACLU of Ohio agreed with us that there were free-speech issues and that the law chills free speech. So it is very unfortunate that the judge threw out that case.”

Buchanan says it also is unfortunate that the court is allowing Driehaus’s case to move forward. “It is outrageous that an elected official can disagree with the statement of a group and then sue us for defamation. It will set a very dangerous precedent that it is acceptable for elected officials to sue people who disagree with them.”

The pro-life spokesperson says the SBA List stands behind its billboard campaign, which ultimately may have contributed to Driehaus’s defeat to Republican Steve Chabot — and that their legal team is prepared to fight Driehaus’s suit.